Swizzlesticks are the most under-appreciated of cocktail accessories and that fact bums me out.

There was a time when the swizzlestick was the proud axis around which any cocktail revolved. But somewhere along the way they got replaced by the short skinny straw. Or even worse, by a few quick swishes with a nearby butter knife.

Enough I say! We are not animals!

It's time to bring the swizzlestick back to its former glory. They still make them, of course. You can buy new ones at ... ah hell, I don't know where to buy new ones. That's because there are way better options out there. Such as:

Buy vintage swizzlesticks on ebay. You can usually get a kajillion of 'em for around $10. Lufthansa, Playboy Club, West Bend Community Insurance Company and Grocery Store. You can't go wrong!

Make your own. This is the best option of all. Because you know what the key word is in swizzlesticks? Sticks! They're just sticks! So: go get some sticks. Whittle 'em up. Use 'em to mix drinks.

There's something nice about a homemade swizzle stick. How far you want to go on the fanciness scale is up to you. When we were on Carriacou a few years ago, I collected sea fan parts that had washed up on the beach. The structural part that remains after floating around a while looks like burnished wood. And it's super duper hard. (It took a wire-cutter to get through.) Anyway, I saved some for swizzlesticks. Used them while we were down there. And then cleaned them up a bit more when I got home. Hit them with a little food-safe mineral oil (like what you use on butcher blocks) and now they gleam like a deep dark tropical tan.

So seriously. Go make some swizzlesticks! A little bit of handiwork and you too can drink like a champion!